The CPC Central Committees Publicity Department has issued an urgent memo to party chiefs and media officials stressing the partys absolute control over the press, the SCMP reports. It includes three conclusions regarding the Southern Weekend censorship row  in which censors changed an editorial causing hundreds to rally outside the papers Guangzhou offices: (1) The party has absolute control of China's media. (2) The incident is unrelated to Guangdong propaganda chief, Tuo Zhen. (Tuo has been a lightning rod for criticism as he approved the censored editorial.) (3) Hostile foreign forces interfered in the Southern Weekend incident. The memo requires officials to prevent journalists from supporting the newspaper and calls on others to reprint a Global Times editorial claiming China lacks the social infrastructure for a free press. Because of Chinas social and political realities the press freedoms asked by these people simply dont exist, read the editorial. Media reform will never become a special area.

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